Halo has been abeloved video game franchiseand series of novels, but now it is making its way to your tabletop in the form of a tactical miniatures game called Halo: Flashpoint. You will get to strategize and be part of turn-based battles between Spartans and Banished Elites. Halo has been brought to the board game format by Mantic Games, which has previously developed board games for Hellboy, Deadzone, The Walking Dead, and other franchises.
Halo: Flashpoint – A Miniatures Game That Rewards Tactical Awareness
Halo: Flashpoint - Spartan Edition
Halo: Flashpoint is the first tabletop tactical skirmish board game based in the Halo universe. It allows fans to experience the franchise in a turn-based board game format with miniatures and dice rolls. The Spartan Edition includes the complete Halo experience with both Spartan and Elite miniatures, along with two battle arenas and a varity of weapons.
Halo: Flashpoint is a two-player skirmish board game that lets you experience multiple game modes popularized by video games. These game modes include Slayer, Oddball, Capture the Flag, Strongholds, and Stockpile. Throughout the game, you will be forced to think about positioning and movement, defeating enemies, and securing objectives. It is rated for ages 14 and up but the creator, Mantic Games, states it is quick to learn but challenging to master, as is the case with most skirmish board games.
Included in the package are a set of Spartan miniatures based on the classic red and blue team colors and, of course, you can customize them how you like by painting them. Out of the box, the miniatures are unpainted, so keep that in mind. There is another set of miniatures based on the Banished Elites that will becontrolled by the second player. Each game can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 90 minutes. The package also includes the following (Spartan Edition):
You will need to assemble the terrain before you may start playing, but that’s pretty simple and straightforward.
The different Spartans have unique sets of stats and abilities that must be used to get a tactical advantage over the Banished. Furthermore, the gaming space is made up of cubes, which makes movement much easier. You can choose to attack or defend, and your strategy will need to change accordingly. Of course, your moves are still based on dice rolls, but you can add more dice to your rolls by getting a positioning advantage or an ability. Positioning is crucial here, like in a real battle where you need to use whatever cover you can find and wait for the right shot.
The arena board is two feet by two feet in size, so you should be able to fit it on any standard table. What’s great about the arena board is that the tiles are easy to lock together and are even reversible. This means you can have two styles of battle arenas, one within a hanger bay or the other based in an outdoor training area.
Halo: Flashpoint – Starter Box Editions
There are two versions of Halo: Flashpoint – Recon and Spartan. The Recon Edition is designed for new players who do not have a lot of experience with tabletop games. It comes with eight Spartan miniatures and 10 weapon cards, along with everything else that you would need to get started with your first game. This means you may have two players control a set of Spartans each and battle it out to see who’s the last one standing.
The Spartan Edition includes the full Halo experience that comes with more miniatures, weapons, and some special components. Furthermore, only the Spartan Edition allows you to take control of Banished Elites. This will allow you to have Spartans vs Elites battles just like in the video games.
Along with the two editions, the creators have a wide range of accessories for Halo: Flashpoint that will also become available down the line. These include a Dice Booster, Paint Set, a Player Token Set, and a Buildable 3D Terrain Set. All this is part of what Manic is calling Wave 1 and there is also a Wave 2 planned that includes a War Games Expansion Pack, Fireteam Hydra Pack, Fireteam Cerberus Pack, two gaming mats, a UNSC Base Terrain Set, and a UNSC Scenery Set.
Fans of the franchise can dive deeper with some special bundles including the Ultimate Spartan Bundle, the All New Bundle, and a Gaming Bundle. All three include a bonus item, which is a free Round Counter Miniature that looks to be based on Cortana, but Manic has stated that’s not the final design.
Halo: Flashpoint – Price and Availability
The Spartan Edition of Halo: Flashpoint that includes the full experience is available forpre-order via Amazonfor $125. It will start shipping from October 28, but the actual release is scheduled for November 4. The official website states that Wave 1 (Second Printing) and Wave 2 (Pre-Orders) will start shipping in early 2025.
At this point, the Spartan Edition seems to be the only one up for pre-order through Amazon, but it can be purchased from theofficial website for £60which converts to around $78. With taxes and shipping, it will cost you a bit more than that, so it’s best to wait till it shows up on Amazon or other local retailers.
